June 2, 2010: Labour Market Information

Media News Release: June 2, 2010 (Download as a PDF)

Labour Shortages on Horizon for Oil and Gas Industry

(Calgary, AB) - The economy may be in a downturn but the oil and gas industry will feel the pinch of another labour shortage next year.

"The rebound in the economy means the industry will need more workers, and it will need them fast," says Cheryl Knight, Executive Director and CEO of the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada (Petroleum HR Council). "Even with the downturn in the economy, the oil and gas industry remains a major employer in Western Canada and across the country."

According to the Petroleum HR Council's Supply/Demand Analysis 2009-2020 report, over 100,000 workers will be needed over the next 10 years to support new oil and gas activity and replace retiring workers. Of these, approximately 65,000 will be in the industry's core occupations, such as engineers, trades, operators and field workers.

The last labour shortage in the oil and gas industry created major headaches for industry, especially when it came to finding and keeping skilled workers. One goal of the Petroleum HR Council's work is to help industry avoid similar problems in the future.

The report, which uses industry-generated oil and gas market information to project medium- and long-term labour market information to 2020, highlights an aging workforce and new activity in the industry as reasons behind the shortage.

"While the industry is still in recovery and stabilizing in 2010, workers will be needed in some of the industry's core occupations in 2011, and across the industry as a whole in 2012, when labour supply falls short of employment requirements," says Knight.

 

Downloadable Media:

• IMAGE: Cheryl Knight, Executive Director & CEO, Petroleum HR Council.
• IMAGE: Kim McCaig, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, CEPA.
• IMAGE: Elizabeth Aquin, Senior Vice President, PSAC.
• IMAGE: Janet Annesley, Vice President, Communications, CAPP.
• Download the Petroleum Human Resources Council logo and guidelines(zipped file).

 

More Information about the Petroleum HR Council:

• About the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada.
• Explore the Council's past and current projects, or browse projects by HR issue.
• Get information about working in the Canadian petroleum industry at the Careers in Oil and Gas website.
• Contact the Council.

 

Additional Labour Market Information:

• Labour Market Information online
• Download the Supply/Demand Analysis 2009-2020 report.

 

The Petroleum HR Council is the primary resource to address workforce development and labour market issues in the Canadian petroleum industry. The Petroleum HR Council collaborates with partners to develop strategies, solutions, products and services that help industry develop a sustainable, skilled and productive oil and gas workforce. The Petroleum Labour Market Information project is funded in partnership with the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program, the Government of Alberta and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

 

For more information, please contact:
Jaimè Croft Larsen, Manager, Marketing and Communications
Email: jcroftlarsen@petrohrsc.ca
Telephone: (403) 735-9128
Toll-Free: (1-888-537-1230